Page 43 of Knot Happening Again

When we finally break apart, we're both breathless. Ophelia's cheeks are flushed, her lips swollen from our kiss. She looks utterly beautiful, and I have to remind myself that this is temporary. That she doesn't want anything permanent.

"So," Ophelia says, her voice husky. "Did you stop playing music when you left the Masked Marauders?"

I hesitate, memories of those dark days after leaving the band flooding back. "For a while, yeah. I couldn't even stand to pick up an instrument. It felt like... like I'd lost a part of myself."

Ophelia squeezes my hand, her touch anchoring me in the present. I take a deep breath, pushing past the lingering pain.

"But music... it's in my blood, you know? I couldn't stay away forever."

Her eyes light up with interest. "So you started playing again?"

I nod, a small smile tugging at my lips. "Sort of. I went underground, started writing my own stuff. Created a whole new persona."

Ophelia's brow furrows in confusion. "A new persona?"

"Yeah, a faceless one," I explain. "It's pretty common in EDM. Phonk, that kind of thing."

She blinks at me, looking adorably lost. "Phonk…?"

I can't help but laugh at her bewildered expression. "Here, let me show you."

Reaching for my phone, I open my music app and scroll through my tracks. I select one of my recent releases, a dark, pulsing beat filling the room.

Ophelia listens intently, her head bobbing slightly to the rhythm. As the track builds to its crescendo, her eyes widen.

"Wow," she breathes when it ends. "That's... intense. Darker than what I usually listen to, but I like it." She pauses, tilting her head. "Sounds kind of angry, though."

I chuckle, nodding in agreement. "Yeah, it can be. It's a good outlet for... stuff."

She hums thoughtfully.

"What kind of music do you like?" I ask.

She looks hesitant. "I don't know… you'd probably hate it."

I raise an eyebrow, intrigued. "Try me."

"Well," she says, a hint of defensiveness in her voice, "I usually just listen to pop music. Nana King, that kind of thing."

To her surprise, I scroll through my workout playlist, stopping on one of Nana's tracks. I hit play, letting the catchy melody fill the air between us.

Ophelia's jaw drops. "Youlike Nana King?"

I smirk, shrugging nonchalantly. "I like a little of everything. Besides, it's the perfect BPM for heavy rep sets at the gym. But you'd better not expose me. I've got a reputation to maintain," I tease. "Even the pack doesn't know about me and Nana."

She laughs, the sound rich and genuine. "Your secret's safe with me. I'll take it to the grave."

We fall into a comfortable silence, the last notes of the song fading away. I find myself studying Ophelia's face, tracing the curve of her cheek with my eyes. She's full of surprises, this omega. Just when I think I've got her figured out, she reveals another layer.

"So," I say, breaking the silence. "What other secrets are you hiding, Ophelia Thompson?"

She turns to me, a mischievous glint in her eye. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

I growl playfully, pulling her closer. "Maybe I would."

Ophelia's laugh turns into a gasp as I nip at her neck, just below her ear. Her scent spikes, filling my nostrils with the intoxicating blend of her arousal and my own scent lingering on her skin.

"Troy," she breathes, her hands coming up to tangle in my hair.

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